Hippy chic lady,you remind me sooo much of my good friend Chez who sadly died 10 years ago,you brought tears to my eyes in a lovely way. happy travels people😎
We watch all of your videos every Thursday. We are doing a simple van build on a ford transit custom and are mounting a flexible solar panel and I found this video and look who it was…….. some very young people that we recognized lol. …….. In 2024 you look exactly the same 👍👍👍😁
This is definitely a golden oldie! One of the first we made actually 😳.. A little amateur back then I’m afraid! Good luck with your project and thanks for tuning in x
@@theexPAWers You have done so incredibly well in 6 or so years. Me and her indoors think the pair of you with the two little doggies have got it just right. You need a couple of blow up canoes though. Cn go way more places that a SUP
From my experience; the tape reacts to sunlight and bonds so well after several months it won’t come off cleanly. Leaves a hard to remove tacky mix of tape & glue
Sounds like a perfect time to use GooGone. It's a miracle worker for such things & has no negative reaction with the paint after. Used it to get that same sticky strange stuff off of my car, as the previous owner had duct taped a few for sale signs on it & had some plastidip on the wheels, which GooGone also made much easier to remove.
Ya'll are uplifting me! I'm in 100 degree Farenheit with a broken ankle and dreams of the road. I'm raising 3 kids, 2 big dogs, and am homebase for 2 lovely cats. I look forward to expawing in my life, even little trips. I used to a bit with big dogs in a Jeep Cherokee and am excited to try a night or two in my Toyota Prius. The Prius needs a bit of work but Sarah inspires me to at least learn to understand how things work. Better heal that ankle first though haven't we?
Interested to see how you finally fix it. I like CT1, and trust it to hold almost anything, but as you point out, it’s not easily removed. I don’t think you ought to think of the flexible solar panel as a movable item, they’re not really robust enough for the forces involved in detaching duct tape. In your position I would fix the panel down securely, but make a lightweight white cover you could use to shield it from extreme heat if you think it’s getting too hot. Good luck with whatever method you eventually decide to employ. kind regards, K33F
Good job guys, but I would probably opt for a permanent fixture to the van, throw a blanket over it if you think it's too hot and get a separate panel and some spare cables, so you can park in the shade and still get power.
CaveNerd thanks so much😊it really is quite simple to have a basic setup like this, just deciding on best way to mount the panel we are struggling with😬will figure it out in the end! Looking forward to testing it all out properly when we hit the road!🚐👫🐕🐕
The best and easiest way to do this that I have finally found, thank you for sharing. Just wondering were you got the extension cables from though, do you need to buy them separately?
Pros and cons of fixing solar permanently on the roof. But I don’t think you want to attach to your roof unless you create an air gap between the panel and roof. I too have a flexible panel and did not place it permanently on my roof because, like you mentioned, I don’t want to park in the sun to charge...which causes my van interior to heat up quickly. Plus there’s a great benefit to manually tilting the panel towards the sun for optimal charging. Nate from ElementVanLife also tried attaching his flexible panel to his roof but still lost it on the highway (he did a video on it a few weeks ago??). Solar is truly amazing...you’ll figure something out that works for you guys. 😉😊🚐🥂
simplelife_seeker Thanks so much, will check out Nate’s channel now, it’s tricky knowing what to do for the best🤔there’s pros and cons to every solution! Our van is only small so a little worried about the panel heating up the interior, really looking forward to having power inside the van and need to try and get the most from our setup😉
Hey there. I’ve done similar thing. The duck tape will move and stretch from the heat. Also your panel will contract and expand as temperatures change so the bolts won’t line up after awhile. Keen to see how you went.
Hilux Jase Hello, so we have used the bolts and the duct tape and it’s holding fine at the moment, it’s been nearly 5 months with the same tape! We haven’t taken it on and off like originally planned, but at least if the panel fails we can replace it easily! Thanks for watching! 😉😊😁
the exPAWers hi there! That’s great news. Happy it worked for you. My flexible panel stopped working after 3 months. Think it just overheated by being glued flush on the roof. I have since gone to hard glass panel and love it. I’m going to check out your other videos now ;)
Hilux Jase Thanks so much😊😊 Yes, we would have loved to be able to have the hard glass panel, think they are much better but the shape of our van roof - it’s impossible!! Hopefully this flexi one will last a while longer for us🤞 x
Thanks guys for showing us the install, am going to go for 1as well, when I get my new van that am going to convert (17 seater transit) early next year, have fun guys looking forward to your Norway vid 🇳🇴. Stay safe stay cool ❤️❤️
I hope the flexible panel still works its said when bent beyond a point get damaged,and very prone to over heating and degeneration of current ,being strapped to a hot surface ,no air circulation under panel.
Another nice video thanks both (catching up after our own 6 week campervan adventure in Spain). An observation on using the inverter to charge your laptop...the irony is that your laptop adaptor is then just stepping the voltage back down to a small DC current for your laptop! You may be able to find a 12v charger adaptor that will charge your laptop direct from your 12v system, which would be a lot more efficient.
Gary James Hey there, sorry about late reply, no internet in Andorra without huge roaming fees!😆 hope you guys had a good 6 weeks in Spain☀️ Thanks for the advice, would be great if we could find a 12v charger for laptop, will have to look out for one on our travels😉 other than that the cheap, basic solar system is working great for us so far😁
You REALLY should fit an isolation switch and a fuse (approx 20A) on the output (positive cable) of the battery. This will protect you from possible short circuits which could cause a disastrous fire.
A WORD TO THE WISE. If you tape your panel to the roof, condensation builds up underneath and will lift the paint and rust the roof. I know this from personal experience. Mine panel was on less than two years. I removed the tape to replace it (due to exposure to the elements) and found the roof (which was in like new condition when I put the panel down) only to find the paint lifted, and large areas of rust, some almost all the way through the roof. I corrected the problem by using a POR (paint over rust) kit from Amazon. You could use the POR first and never have to worry about the rust. Condensation will still build up under the panel, but POR is actually made stronger by moisture.
Thanks for the info as I have a camper with a plastic roof so I will go with the white duck tape,also may I ask but you had a circular thingy inside the van,would that be for a shower/toilet curtain?Russ
With the 100 watts solar panel, what devices can you run? TV, refrigerator a laptop? Also, with the 110 amp battery, what devices can you run? I suggest you use industrial tape all around the panel and then on the outside of the solar panel use a wide duct tape in order to protect the velcro from the rain. The velcro with the water becomes soft and it loses its strength until becomes dry again. The hot summer sun may damage the duct tape after a year and you should check it sometimes.
Frank Hey, thanks for your advice about taping the panel down, we ended up glueing the bolts to the roof and bolting the panel onto them, have also used strong tape all the way around the panel and after 1 month it’s all fine (have had lots of wind and rain) We have been using our laptops a lot and all over usb devices too with no probs, also led lights etc.... we haven’t tried a fridge or tv, but the weather has been quite overcast and rainy this month and the battery hasn’t dropped below 12.5 volts at any time, so for us it’s great, thanks for watching!🚐👫🐕🐕
To avoid rust use vaseline to protect the metal from the rust. I forgot to ask you in a previous video about your sweet dogs. I like them a lot. What is their breed? Be well and thank you for your nice videos.
Frank Thanks again, yes somebody else mentioned Vaseline, and we did put some on the bolts a few days ago, so we will continue to do so😉 our 2 doggies are rescue pups... we found them when they were tiny so not sure exact breed, luckily for us they turned out small dogs! They looked very similar when we found them but as you can see turned out quite different, Charlie is some kind of wire hair terrier mix and Dizzee is more like a pincer/chi mix, very odd as we presume they are from the same litter! Who knows, they are a couple of unique little brothers! ❤️🐾❤️🐾
@6:07 can those mc4 cables be unscrewed from the panel and replaced? Asking because I don't want any slack or connectors on my roof and I need to thread the line into the van with smallest possible hole.
Just using tape or Velcro may not be a solution to secure your panels as elements will weaken the bond. Using some form of glue (butyl adhesive) would be a safer solution. About the air gap between the panel and roof. Heat build up would be a concern but also if air is able to sneak into the panel this may cause pressure build up creating panel to lift over time. As one for safety, you could possibly put a safety tether to the panel just in case it blows off while on the highway.
Cameran Manner Thanks so much for your advice, we ended up glueing the bolts (which have a large base) to the roof and bolting the panel to them, then we have used strong tape all the way round aswell to stop any wind getting underneath... this way we can still remove/replace the panel if need be, so far it’s totally fine, have been checking on the tape on a regular basis!😊thanks so much for watching!🚐👫🐕🐕
Excellent. I'd worry that prying the panel off the super-strong velcro might damage it (I once broke a "flexible" panel by bending it more than it wanted...)
Vandemonium Hiya🤗..... thanks for the advice, we have heard the Velcro is crazy strong so something we’ll have to consider when taking the panel off🤔.....wouldn’t want to snap it half way round Europe😳
my first thought was heavy duty magnets !! ?? But I do not know if that would mess up the solar itself. I was thinking for the easy access of taking the panel off and on. Safe Travels.
Richard Buckley thanks, magnets would be good if we had a metal roof but It’s fibreglass! Have seen another video where they just used really strong magnets and it seemed to work in a regular van roof! Thanks for watching 🚐👫🐕🐕
forgot about the fiberglass! what about using gorilla tape on the fiberglass and then gluing magnets to the tape. it would be semi perm. without ruining the fiberglass??? I have not read other comments so hopefully you have tons of suggestions to choose from. I never comment on youtube but I enjoy watching the exPAWers..
Richard Buckley Thanks for the suggestions, we do have Gorilla tape and just using this holds them quite well...... We are still deciding what to do, had quite a few comments on what other people have used, some for and some against the Velcro etc..... it’s really quite tricky to know what the best thing to do is😆 we’ll figure it out soon enough I’m sure😉
What a beautiful couple - loverly to see you share what you have explored - we used a rigid panel on little Romahome and one of them cheap MPPT (CPT-LA10) which is working wonderfully - its swings and roundabouts - the rigid panel is a bit bulkier but last longer - the MPPT has the edge over PWM and works a treat - there's something rather nice about being sunpowered : )
Trev S Totally agree, solar power is fantastic! Thanks so much for your lovely comment.... We would have preferred to get the rigid panel as think they do perform better and last longer but we just don’t have the flat space on the roof for one unfortunately. That being said the cheap flexible one has been great so far, about 5 months now and it’s doing a fine job😉 thanks for watching x
Delighted its working out for you both - there are some newer flexible solar panels with a tough kind of textured ETFE coat that claims to overcome the issues with overheating and delamination - carrying heavy plate glass on the roof is not the best solution - we have been running the cheap MPPT for 2 years now and it has performed flawlessly - hugs from UK
Trev S 😊😊we are actually thinking about getting one of those 100w suitcase style fold ones for the future too, have to do more research, but might be good to have a portable one, park in the shade, have it in the sun and keep moving it to face the sun as well..... Thanks again😁
Hello from Minnesota, USA. Just happened across your video as I'm doing a similar setup with a flexible panel that will rotate between my 13 ft. Scamp trailer (caravan?) and my minivan when I leave the trailer at home. In my research, I found that others connect the inverter directly to the ledger battery. The two connections on the bottom right side of the solar controller are used to connect to a small fuse panel to power the 12v items such as lights, compressor fridge, and water pump. Just wondering if that's a UK/Europe method of doing solar power. Will have to look at some of your other videos and see where you travel. Would love to visit Europe again, especially Spain and Portugal. All the best.
Lily Mac Hello there😊thanks for the advice... will research into this a little more as we are very new to Solar!! We are currently at home in Southern Spain but are leaving next week for our big Euro trip! Hopefully our 100w solar setup will be enough for our needs😬😉
@lilly- ur right about the inverter conection (direct to batt with a fuse on the + post), the load on your scc is for smal uses like led light.. greets from belguim
Thanks for the video guys, nice and easy, just my sort of project. Can I ask if you got the panel and controller/cables etc in Spain or Amazon/internet? I too live in Spain but 'solar panel ' shops are quite rare here :-)
If you don't go with the velcro idea and decide to bolt it down then I think you would want to create some kind of sleeve that the panel slid into. That way you don't have to keep taping it down. Maybe get a small roll of aluminum fascia and tape or glue that to the roof. The fascia would basically border the top and sides of the panel but not the bottom. You only need it for wind resistance after all. When it comes time to put the panel on you slide it in place from the back and then bolt it down. I've never seen one mounted like this though so it would be experimental. For example, fascia is coated I think so it won't rust... which means it may be hard to find glues, etc, that stick to it. I'm no expert though so this could be a bad idea.
101perspective Hello, thanks so much for the great advice😁... we have ended up bolting the panel as showed in the video with the bolts glued to the roof and then taped down using the gorilla tape! It’s been up there for over 4 months now with no issues😉we originally planned to perhaps take it on and off but realised this is quite abit of hassle with the tape! It’s an ok setup like this and of the panel ever fails it’s easy to remove and replace! So all in all very happy with this cheap, easy solar setup! 👍👍
I might be too late? I would glue the bolts to the roof. Once you have the washer and nuts on I would apply some vaseline/grease to the metal threads. The vaseline will stop it rusting because it blocks air from touching the metal. I would only tape the front of the panel to the camper. If wind can not get under the front and lift, the wind pressure over the rest of the panel will be pushing the panel onto the roof.
campingboy Your not too late! Thanks so much for your advice😉.... we have stuck the bolts down like we mentioned in the vid with CT1 and seems to be working great so far.... haven’t drove down any motorway yet tho! before we do, will tape down the front extra well! Will see how we go about leaving the other sides left untapped😉 think it will be fine! And will take your advice with the Vaseline to stop rusting! Thanks so, so much.... 🚐👫🐕🐕
Good job,what a team! 👏🚐📹Best solar-fit demo I have ever watched, I think I might actually understand it all now!😵 What about a second panel just for putting out when you're in the shade in the van and get a cover for the one on the roof for when it's blistering hot? Look forward to seeing what you do, Spring-time blessings🐇🐣🐑🙏
Lake Antler Thanks so much😊we did think about getting a second panel.... perhaps we will measure up in the van and see if we have room as this would solve the problem of wanting to park in the shade most of the time! ....🤔 it’s tricky knowing what to do for the best! We’ve never been that great at making decisions🤣
Lovely vid guys, straight talking no nonsense stuff. Really appreciate you putting this up, could you tell me how much this system cost? our last van was written off and we have now bought a transit van and would love to add solar panels, also subbed Tim/Mandy
savedpurplecat Hello Tim and Mandy, welcome to our channel and thanks for watching 😁😁... Glad you liked the video, this is a very simple and reasonable setup and worked out great for us during our 8month trip away. Here’s some links to everything we bought (all from amazon) - Flexi Solar Panel; amzn.to/2wtIv26 leisure battery; amzn.to/2PTEs7h 300w Inverter; amzn.to/2C4njoF Charge Controller; amzn.to/2C1Gyzl
I think your method of attaching is perfect, but I wouldn't worry about removing it to park in the shade, too much hassle. Just get a second rigid solar panel with its own foldout stand and a long cord - I have one, and it easily slides away being flat'n all, no problem. Plus, this gives you double the charging surface area for cloudy &rainy days. If you have a smart controller - or smart inverter, it will switch your charging source from solar to the alternator when you start the engine. When you turn the engine off, it'll switch back over to solar charging. And since your controller has overcharge protection cut-off, you're covered there too. The fact that your flex panel curves aerodynamically on the leading surface of your van is just perfect. But just because it's flexible, that doesn't mean you can just bend it and straighten it repeatedly - that's exactly what kills phone charging cords and extension cords, rolling them out, and rolling them up again. Construction companies train their workers to roll power cords up in a way that minimizes the microbreakage that occurs each time, over time - just to try to get the most life out of a $100+ power cord. Your panel is more expensive than any cord, and putting it through a similar bending and unfurling repetition will eventually kill it, possibly cause a short and fire. Also, since you said you have a 1000W inverter - I would use that instead. It's heavier and more robust, and gives your circuitry much better surge protection, probably double it's continuous load rating. It should say right on the inverter specs label. I'm guessing you'll find it says surge protection 2000W, for so many seconds or milliseconds. This protects your whole system, for the stated time (in seconds or milliseconds) Some inverters give as much as 20 to 30 seconds of surge protection, but those are bigger and usually very expensive. Your 1000W inverter I'm sure has plenty enough surge protection given the small current usage you said is all you need, so I'm sure you're good there. To be really safe, make sure to put a fat line fuse on your red cable attaching to the positive(Red) terminal on your battery. This protects EVERYTHING from any possible abnormal current spike from the battery. Also, since you're running off 12 volt, go with really fat gauge red and black insulated copper leads from the battery - like 2 Ought - to inverter, as short as possible - get your inverter as close to the battery as possible. Your leads from batt to inverter should be short and fat. If you have to go a bit longer, go fatter. If your solar charge controller is a good one, it will not only stop charging the battery when full charge is reached - it will also prevent reverse charge from then flowing back to the solar panel - called reverse charge protection. In other words, go heavier than you ever plan on needing, so that no one component of your system is ever taxed to anywhere near approaching its max. You'll have such a huge safety margin, the whole system can hum along at a fraction of its capacity. One change I would suggest - that is a pricy upgrade; Get a BattleBorn Battery. Once you read the specs on that, or better yet, just call them on their website, you'll understand. It's a 10 year warranty, meaning it's easily a 20 year battery, and Battleborn's support is superior to everyone else out there. $950, yup. But it's so worth it. Check out Will Prowse on TH-cam, he breaks it down like no other, and it comes out on top. They don't need venting, or any maintenance at all. They have their own built in BMS, and don't need a fuse on the red terminal. They are the safest, biggest capacity and longest lasting battery period. I can now feel good cuz I told you about this. Cheers!
Hi guys your talking to Mr Solar here I won't bother you with my 100 watt Bosch panel installation but a few facts you may or may not know.. The mornings rays will charge your battery to around 14.4 watts within an hour in Spain with an 60 to 80 watt panel..if it's cloudy you should get to around 13.5 to 13.8 easily that's plenty...Do all your usb point charging during the morning!!!!.. Regarding the slope of your roof if you can face East for early morning sun particularly if it's raining or cloudy. Otherwise it's not going to make any difference. 12.8 watts is fine..12.4 watts is ok but when it drops to 11.8 conserve your usage..turn everything off..As your battery getting to the point of no return. A solar panel is "meant to be in the sun" it's flimsy too so Stick it down using Sikoflex... Sikoflex is fantastic. Solar panels will work in the shade on a sunny day...Stick it down with Duck tape and monitor before sticking it if you need to be convinced..To be honest in Spain a good 40 watt panel would do the job 100 watt in the UK is great for cloudy days. In winter. If your worried about extreme heat stick a towel over it . If you keep taking it off your going to have an accident with it...Just remember the mornings sun is so much better than midday or evening rays so as said do all your charging early morning sun...not late afternoon and certainly not at night..
muddymarvellous Hiya, this is great😊 thank you so much for all this brilliant information, will definitely take note of all of this and be keeping an eye on the voltage.... we have CT1 adhesive which we could use if we end up permanently sticking it on.... excited to get on the road and have the extra power in the van!😉🙏
I'm excited for you!!!...it's going to be fantastic !!! it really is!!!...I love solar I get a buzz every morning when the battery tops up.....I think the flexible panels make so much sense, much tidier .. the rigid panels are so heavy..
Yes I stand corrected obviously 100 watt panel 12 volt system . That's the problem with relaxing with a good bottle of wine.. 🍷 But I'm sure they know the difference...But you may want to explain now the voltage reading when battery is loaded and how this affects the controller readings
Inga Huff thanks for the suggestion, magnets would be great if we hade a metal roof, ours in fibreglass... we’ve gone with the bolt things glued on and strong duct tape around the edges, hopefully this will be all good🤞
Photoart design studio Custom photo t-shirts Hey there, the make is elfeland, we got it from eBay Spain, can’t find the exact one we got now🤔 but just search from your country eBay/amazon... we paid about 100euros! X
Stephen Ellis Thanks so much.... we were thinking Velcro was the way forward but after doing more research and hearing other people’s views, think we will probable go with the bolts👍😊
I have used industrial velcro for years, it WON’T WITHSTAND the sort of heat you have in Spain! The self adhesive MELTS and whilst driving your solar panel will depart! Dont trust it. HOWEVER if you attach the tape with Sikaflex or similar that withstands a LOT of heat PLEASE DO NOT rely on what ‘appears’ to be super sticky tape, trust me its not. Its designed for indoor or low temperatures. 👍🏻
Industrial Velcro: I would be very concerned with any adhesive performance in temperatures of 30-40 degrees. I used this product inside my tow-along Smart car and basically, it melted even though the outside temperature was only 20 degrees. I liked the video though and hope you get it sorted.
Don Sides Thanks so much Don! We ended up glueing the bolt onto the roof and using the gorilla tape around to stop the wind lifting the panel! Almost 6 months now and it’s still up there doing its job with the original tape! And the great thing is if it fails we can just take the tape off and replace the panel😉 thanks so much for watching😊😊
how do y'all make money while traveling? can I add a bunch of small travel solar panels to one battery? I like how everything is set up its authentically smart
Rachel Bourgeois thanks😊 We are using our savings to travel at the moment, we saved and made sacrifices for quite a while to be able to have this big adventure hopefully we can make this last, would be great to find some kind of online work but obviously this is not easy🤔😬😊
Neat little setup, i would probably use some motorcycle quick release fairing fasteners to make it easy to mount and remove the panel, a set of those probably won't cost you more then 10bucks.
Another alternative that just popped up in my head and maybe even nicer are these "VW Twist Lock Floor Mat Clips", search on ebay for the ad 171348959983 and you see what i mean. Then cut the screw part and glue it on the roof. Industrial velcro is also great but i would be worried that you put alot of stress on the panel when trying to get it off the roof.
good job. flexible light weight panels are the way to go, but building in a gap between the panel and roof seems sensible to avoid the panels absorbing too much heat. The juries out on this one. regards Barry
barry8082 Thanks for the advice, yes hear that a gap between is sensible although do kinda think these panels are made to be just stuck on, we may be able to leave a gap if we use the bolts we mentioned in the vid🤔
Good job guys! Nice use of the existing roof hole lol. Idk anything about solar, but Will Prowse has some vids about flexible panels. Might be useful. 🌞
Really does need to be properly glues down over time it will rip off. All solar panels need a gap under them once it gets too hot tie from the metal roof they dont seem to work as well. i have seem a video where they placed the flex solar panel on the boot of the van. not to sure of the pros and cons of that method. Love your video by the way!
David Bernard Thanks so much for the advice😊.....We are definitely abit worried about the panel overheating hence wanting a solution that we can take it on and off! Our roof is fibreglass and we don’t want the panel damaging the roof if it overheats either! It’s tricky to know what solution is best🤔
Live Free or Die Yeah, thanks for the advice... we have decided against the Velcro and stuck the bolts down.... we are also going to duct tape all around the front edge to stop the wind lifting the panel!😉😊
FootLoose Crafters we have a leisure battery under the bonnet too which only charges when we drive, and powers all the electrics in the van, lights, fridge, water pump etc... So this new battery/solar set up will be just for our laptop, phones, camera etc, excited about having the extra power for the big trip😁
Hi, new viewer... just FYI I have the same flexible solar panels on my class B RV and you'll find that they are not as good as the rigid panels in terms of output. also I have the same problem that you'll face when you don't elevate the panels to the angle of the sun. As the fall and winter approach the sun is lower giving much less exposure to the panel ( up to 25% less) If max power is not needed than no big deal. I have a lot of power hungry devices and need as much solar power as possible.
PAT DOWNEY Hello Pat, thanks for the info, yeah we would have much preferred to get the rigid panel , but no way of fitting one on our funny shape roof, we are considering getting one of those 100w portable folding rigid ones, (like a big briefcase) for the next trip! This cheap flexible one is holding ok, we put it up by glueing the bolts to the roof and duct tape and it’s been up there 5ish months and doing alright😉 is amazing the difference when it’s not full on facing the sun as you mentioned... Thanks so much for watching!😁
SYKOMORF Thanks for the advice, we have had the same tape on for 6 months!! 😂 if we need to take the panel off, we will just cut the tape with a blade! Not bothered about the tape being unremovable, it’s an old van with a dirty roof anyways!😉thanks for watching.
For safety, the solar panel should be removed immediately. This is a panel that must not bend so much and it means that there are now micro chracks in the panel which means there is a fire hazard for continued use.
Green Energy Scandinavia Hi there, these flexible panels are supposed to bend we thought?? Isn’t that the reason for being flexible? .... it’s been on the van for a couple of months now and we have no problem... could you explain a little more why we should worry😬
If you study the instruction for c-Si so-called semiflexible panels, you will see that there is a very low deflection allowed. When a micro-crack occurs, the electrons must skip the crack and thus heat will develop. Because your panel is made with a back of plastic, there is a risk of fire. If there is no fire, there is definitely some insulation that melts at a time by your camper. There is no need to mount this kind of equipment on your device. There are real solar cells designed for the purpose that are also glued, but just in a real technology called CIGS, and you also ensure better production. They are available from manufacturers such as MiaSole. Flisom and GlobalSolar Never use crystal c-Si panels on transport equipment. That's why professionals only use CIGS flexible solar panels on vehicles: th-cam.com/video/ZodPnAVb__o/w-d-xo.html
timothy790110 Hey so we went with the glued on bolts in the end and gorilla tape all the way around. Did the Job, still holding up in the same position more then 6 months later! 😁
Ray Andrew Thanks for the advice, we have the setup the same as the video but now, yes the inverter (300w) is connected directly to the leisure battery instead of the charge controller😉3 months has passed and all good😁thanks fo watching 🚐👫🐕🐕
kay evangelou Hey, we are totally thinking about that as the tape is quite strong🤔but kinda feel like we need to be sure it doesn’t fly off when driving fast😬thanks for watching🚐👫🐕🐕
why do rigid panels require a ventilation space and flexibles don't?? I want to use a rigid panel as a vent cover on my van and have it rest flush (with weather stripping) on the roofs sheet metal and have the back be exposed to the inside of the van.. and if possible insulate and cover the underside. Possible? any health or safety risks? My feeling is the space/ventilation requirement on rigid panels might be more about water and drainage as they are not as sealed as flexible panels?? maybe? not sure, but would like a proven explanation from a self proclaimed expert who is not just reading manufacturer's installation guide. Thanks. drive.google.com/open?id=1vKXInuftSZq0ufeHJHZWsjlaqAc0zlfA
Newer Account 🤣🤣 Tiny dogs aren’t that bad🤣🐾 great little weapons for in the van! They will bite anyone’s fingers off who tries to get in uninvited... thanks for watching x
I like the inflamed mdf page's fragrancy.. Best concept ever! -prop: change that matterial to better fireproof stuff..
lovely...!
I was exactly going through the exact same thought process!
Finally found a video that gives me a little better view and idea ;-) Thanks!
Good video guys .....van life
Your life is rocking when your home is rolling
Hippy chic lady,you remind me sooo much of my good friend Chez who sadly died 10 years ago,you brought tears to my eyes in a lovely way. happy travels people😎
We watch all of your videos every Thursday. We are doing a simple van build on a ford transit custom and are mounting a flexible solar panel and I found this video and look who it was…….. some very young people that we recognized lol. ……..
In 2024 you look exactly the same 👍👍👍😁
This is definitely a golden oldie! One of the first we made actually 😳.. A little amateur back then I’m afraid! Good luck with your project and thanks for tuning in x
@@theexPAWers You have done so incredibly well in 6 or so years. Me and her indoors think the pair of you with the two little doggies have got it just right. You need a couple of blow up canoes though. Cn go way more places that a SUP
finaly a solar panel video i can understand, this is exactly what i needed to see to know how to set up my van
Also flexible panels are made to be placed permanently. Not for repeated flexing. Taking it off & on repeatedly will cause it to fail
Love anything without a screw or drill! 🤣
Marilyn Wisbey 😂😉
From my experience; the tape reacts to sunlight and bonds so well after several months it won’t come off cleanly. Leaves a hard to remove tacky mix of tape & glue
Wipe it off with a bit of petrol on a rag
You'll also wipe off the paint with that bro xD
@Euangelion Transit agreed, use IPA (and not the beer) ;)
Sounds like a perfect time to use GooGone. It's a miracle worker for such things & has no negative reaction with the paint after. Used it to get that same sticky strange stuff off of my car, as the previous owner had duct taped a few for sale signs on it & had some plastidip on the wheels, which GooGone also made much easier to remove.
In the U.S. we have a product call Goo Gone. I have a spray bottle dont know maybe 16 oz since 2017 I believe. Its still full.
Ya'll are uplifting me! I'm in 100 degree Farenheit with a broken ankle and dreams of the road. I'm raising 3 kids, 2 big dogs, and am homebase for 2 lovely cats. I look forward to expawing in my life, even little trips. I used to a bit with big dogs in a Jeep Cherokee and am excited to try a night or two in my Toyota Prius. The Prius needs a bit of work but Sarah inspires me to at least learn to understand how things work. Better heal that ankle first though haven't we?
Thanks for your video. I"ve watched many video and they say to leave some air spaces on the solar panel.
i have a sola flex like yours from ebay, i have not fitted it yet, but now i have watched this i may just do it myself
Ingenious guys using Vinnie's already cracked skylight to save you drilling any more holes into him. I'm loving it
mad davvid Thanks, Yes that ugly little crack in the sunroof finally come in handy😉probable would have had to drill a hole without it!🚐👫🐕🐕
Rusty Wallace brick stupid are we rusty🤣🤣🤣🤣that’s funny!🤣🤣
rusty wallace i dont think so they are living the dream ,
mad davvid.......😊Thank You! 🚐👫🐕🐕
Interested to see how you finally fix it. I like CT1, and trust it to hold almost anything, but as you point out, it’s not easily removed. I don’t think you ought to think of the flexible solar panel as a movable item, they’re not really robust enough for the forces involved in detaching duct tape. In your position I would fix the panel down securely, but make a lightweight white cover you could use to shield it from extreme heat if you think it’s getting too hot. Good luck with whatever method you eventually decide to employ. kind regards, K33F
A silver space blanket might work too...
Thank you for the video. I just order my solar panel kit but I will have to get a little in some where to enter the wires in the van.
Awesome!!!!❤
simple, smart.
Good job guys, but I would probably opt for a permanent fixture to the van, throw a blanket over it if you think it's too hot and get a separate panel and some spare cables, so you can park in the shade and still get power.
Where did you buy everything? An online link in bio would be nice thanks guys! 🙏
Dang those are some cute dogs
GREAT Job! Made it look soooo much less intimidating than other Solar Install Vids. Thanks for making this look do-able. Best Wishes :)
CaveNerd thanks so much😊it really is quite simple to have a basic setup like this, just deciding on best way to mount the panel we are struggling with😬will figure it out in the end! Looking forward to testing it all out properly when we hit the road!🚐👫🐕🐕
Good on you, fortunately I have had large PVC panel that I keep and refit every time I change my vehicle, would not be without this brilliant kit.
Alan Whitehouse this is our first little solar set up and pretty impressed, be interesting to see how it works for us once we get back on the road😉
Thanks for sharing your wonderful adventures, and thanks for this video now I understand solar better, be safe traveling, love ya
Thanks so much Linda xx
Always enjoy your videos
Interesting and fun.
The best and easiest way to do this that I have finally found, thank you for sharing. Just wondering were you got the extension cables from though, do you need to buy them separately?
Thanks guys! I'm looking at different solar options for my van atm.
Did you end up using the velcro?? If so how is it?
Pros and cons of fixing solar permanently on the roof. But I don’t think you want to attach to your roof unless you create an air gap between the panel and roof. I too have a flexible panel and did not place it permanently on my roof because, like you mentioned, I don’t want to park in the sun to charge...which causes my van interior to heat up quickly. Plus there’s a great benefit to manually tilting the panel towards the sun for optimal charging. Nate from ElementVanLife also tried attaching his flexible panel to his roof but still lost it on the highway (he did a video on it a few weeks ago??). Solar is truly amazing...you’ll figure something out that works for you guys. 😉😊🚐🥂
simplelife_seeker Thanks so much, will check out Nate’s channel now, it’s tricky knowing what to do for the best🤔there’s pros and cons to every solution! Our van is only small so a little worried about the panel heating up the interior, really looking forward to having power inside the van and need to try and get the most from our setup😉
silicon adhesive sealant,,,is the way to go
Hey there. I’ve done similar thing. The duck tape will move and stretch from the heat. Also your panel will contract and expand as temperatures change so the bolts won’t line up after awhile. Keen to see how you went.
Hilux Jase Hello, so we have used the bolts and the duct tape and it’s holding fine at the moment, it’s been nearly 5 months with the same tape! We haven’t taken it on and off like originally planned, but at least if the panel fails we can replace it easily! Thanks for watching! 😉😊😁
the exPAWers hi there! That’s great news. Happy it worked for you. My flexible panel stopped working after 3 months. Think it just overheated by being glued flush on the roof. I have since gone to hard glass panel and love it. I’m going to check out your other videos now ;)
Hilux Jase Thanks so much😊😊 Yes, we would have loved to be able to have the hard glass panel, think they are much better but the shape of our van roof - it’s impossible!! Hopefully this flexi one will last a while longer for us🤞 x
Good
Thank you very much for this video. I have a better understanding of the setup now.
Daniel Campbell Your welcome, thanks so much for watching! 😁😁
You guys simplified this so much!! Thanks. What did all that cost you?
Thanks guys for showing us the install, am going to go for 1as well, when I get my new van that am going to convert (17 seater transit) early next year, have fun guys looking forward to your Norway vid 🇳🇴. Stay safe stay cool ❤️❤️
THANKS SO MUCH! I'VE BEEN ALL AROUND TH-cam TO FIND A SIMPLE WAY FOR MY SIMPLE VAN SET-UP.
Thanks so much, glad you liked the video😉 x
good
I hope the flexible panel still works its said when bent beyond a point get damaged,and very prone to over heating and degeneration of current ,being strapped to a hot surface ,no air circulation under panel.
Another nice video thanks both (catching up after our own 6 week campervan adventure in Spain). An observation on using the inverter to charge your laptop...the irony is that your laptop adaptor is then just stepping the voltage back down to a small DC current for your laptop! You may be able to find a 12v charger adaptor that will charge your laptop direct from your 12v system, which would be a lot more efficient.
Gary James Hey there, sorry about late reply, no internet in Andorra without huge roaming fees!😆 hope you guys had a good 6 weeks in Spain☀️ Thanks for the advice, would be great if we could find a 12v charger for laptop, will have to look out for one on our travels😉 other than that the cheap, basic solar system is working great for us so far😁
You REALLY should fit an isolation switch and a fuse (approx 20A) on the output (positive cable) of the battery. This will protect you from possible short circuits which could cause a disastrous fire.
A WORD TO THE WISE. If you tape your panel to the roof, condensation builds up underneath and will lift the paint and rust the roof. I know this from personal experience. Mine panel was on less than two years. I removed the tape to replace it (due to exposure to the elements) and found the roof (which was in like new condition when I put the panel down) only to find the paint lifted, and large areas of rust, some almost all the way through the roof. I corrected the problem by using a POR (paint over rust) kit from Amazon. You could use the POR first and never have to worry about the rust. Condensation will still build up under the panel, but POR is actually made stronger by moisture.
Fiberglass roof!!!
good video guys love your vids
Thanks for the info as I have a camper with a plastic roof so I will go with the white duck tape,also may I ask but you had a circular thingy inside the van,would that be for a shower/toilet curtain?Russ
I think you should fix it on permanently - it's simpler and those panels are designed to be left in place. Love your vids btw.
I have a question on solar kit you have could you hook up a 1000 watt inverter with this kit?
With the 100 watts solar panel, what devices can you run? TV, refrigerator a laptop?
Also, with the 110 amp battery, what devices can you run?
I suggest you use industrial tape all around the panel and then on the outside of the solar panel use a wide duct tape in order to protect the velcro from the rain. The velcro with the water becomes soft and it loses its strength until becomes dry again. The hot summer sun may damage the duct tape after a year and you should check it sometimes.
Frank Hey, thanks for your advice about taping the panel down, we ended up glueing the bolts to the roof and bolting the panel onto them, have also used strong tape all the way around the panel and after 1 month it’s all fine (have had lots of wind and rain)
We have been using our laptops a lot and all over usb devices too with no probs, also led lights etc.... we haven’t tried a fridge or tv, but the weather has been quite overcast and rainy this month and the battery hasn’t dropped below 12.5 volts at any time, so for us it’s great, thanks for watching!🚐👫🐕🐕
To avoid rust use vaseline to protect the metal from the rust.
I forgot to ask you in a previous video about your sweet dogs. I like them a lot. What is their breed?
Be well and thank you for your nice videos.
Frank Thanks again, yes somebody else mentioned Vaseline, and we did put some on the bolts a few days ago, so we will continue to do so😉 our 2 doggies are rescue pups... we found them when they were tiny so not sure exact breed, luckily for us they turned out small dogs! They looked very similar when we found them but as you can see turned out quite different, Charlie is some kind of wire hair terrier mix and Dizzee is more like a pincer/chi mix, very odd as we presume they are from the same litter! Who knows, they are a couple of unique little brothers! ❤️🐾❤️🐾
Did you consider 3M VHB tape?
Don't you need a Circuit Breaker between the charge controller and the Inverter ??
@6:07 can those mc4 cables be unscrewed from the panel and replaced? Asking because I don't want any slack or connectors on my roof and I need to thread the line into the van with smallest possible hole.
NoSunBeach Hey, Yeah, they can be taken off and replaced, 😉 good luck with your setup and thanks for watching 😁😁
Just using tape or Velcro may not be a solution to secure your panels as elements will weaken the bond. Using some form of glue (butyl adhesive) would be a safer solution. About the air gap between the panel and roof. Heat build up would be a concern but also if air is able to sneak into the panel this may cause pressure build up creating panel to lift over time.
As one for safety, you could possibly put a safety tether to the panel just in case it blows off while on the highway.
Cameran Manner Thanks so much for your advice, we ended up glueing the bolts (which have a large base) to the roof and bolting the panel to them, then we have used strong tape all the way round aswell to stop any wind getting underneath... this way we can still remove/replace the panel if need be, so far it’s totally fine, have been checking on the tape on a regular basis!😊thanks so much for watching!🚐👫🐕🐕
Excellent. I'd worry that prying the panel off the super-strong velcro might damage it (I once broke a "flexible" panel by bending it more than it wanted...)
Vandemonium Hiya🤗..... thanks for the advice, we have heard the Velcro is crazy strong so something we’ll have to consider when taking the panel off🤔.....wouldn’t want to snap it half way round Europe😳
my first thought was heavy duty magnets !! ?? But I do not know if that would mess up the solar itself. I was thinking for the easy access of taking the panel off and on. Safe Travels.
Richard Buckley thanks, magnets would be good if we had a metal roof but It’s fibreglass! Have seen another video where they just used really strong magnets and it seemed to work in a regular van roof! Thanks for watching 🚐👫🐕🐕
forgot about the fiberglass! what about using gorilla tape on the fiberglass and then gluing magnets to the tape. it would be semi perm. without ruining the fiberglass??? I have not read other comments so hopefully you have tons of suggestions to choose from. I never comment on youtube but I enjoy watching the exPAWers..
Richard Buckley Thanks for the suggestions, we do have Gorilla tape and just using this holds them quite well...... We are still deciding what to do, had quite a few comments on what other people have used, some for and some against the Velcro etc..... it’s really quite tricky to know what the best thing to do is😆 we’ll figure it out soon enough I’m sure😉
Does the battery need to be grounded?
What a beautiful couple - loverly to see you share what you have explored - we used a rigid panel on little Romahome and one of them cheap MPPT (CPT-LA10) which is working wonderfully - its swings and roundabouts - the rigid panel is a bit bulkier but last longer - the MPPT has the edge over PWM and works a treat - there's something rather nice about being sunpowered : )
Trev S Totally agree, solar power is fantastic! Thanks so much for your lovely comment.... We would have preferred to get the rigid panel as think they do perform better and last longer but we just don’t have the flat space on the roof for one unfortunately. That being said the cheap flexible one has been great so far, about 5 months now and it’s doing a fine job😉 thanks for watching x
Delighted its working out for you both - there are some newer flexible solar panels with a tough kind of textured ETFE coat that claims to overcome the issues with overheating and delamination - carrying heavy plate glass on the roof is not the best solution - we have been running the cheap MPPT for 2 years now and it has performed flawlessly - hugs from UK
Trev S 😊😊we are actually thinking about getting one of those 100w suitcase style fold ones for the future too, have to do more research, but might be good to have a portable one, park in the shade, have it in the sun and keep moving it to face the sun as well..... Thanks again😁
Try magnets to hold down solar panels
oggy reptiles Thanks for watching! We glued the bolts in the end and used Duct tape! 5 months now and all great😉
Hello from Minnesota, USA. Just happened across your video as I'm doing a similar setup with a flexible panel that will rotate between my 13 ft. Scamp trailer (caravan?) and my minivan when I leave the trailer at home. In my research, I found that others connect the inverter directly to the ledger battery. The two connections on the bottom right side of the solar controller are used to connect to a small fuse panel to power the 12v items such as lights, compressor fridge, and water pump. Just wondering if that's a UK/Europe method of doing solar power.
Will have to look at some of your other videos and see where you travel. Would love to visit Europe again, especially Spain and Portugal. All the best.
Lily Mac Hello there😊thanks for the advice... will research into this a little more as we are very new to Solar!! We are currently at home in Southern Spain but are leaving next week for our big Euro trip! Hopefully our 100w solar setup will be enough for our needs😬😉
@lilly- ur right about the inverter conection (direct to batt with a fuse on the + post), the load on your scc is for smal uses like led light.. greets from belguim
What if your next solar panel doesn't have those nice big holes to accept those CT1 glue on bolts?
These panels are very lightweight, we would feel confident enough just sticking them on with Gorilla tape!
Thanks for the video guys, nice and easy, just my sort of project. Can I ask if you got the panel and controller/cables etc in Spain or Amazon/internet? I too live in Spain but 'solar panel ' shops are quite rare here :-)
If you don't go with the velcro idea and decide to bolt it down then I think you would want to create some kind of sleeve that the panel slid into. That way you don't have to keep taping it down. Maybe get a small roll of aluminum fascia and tape or glue that to the roof. The fascia would basically border the top and sides of the panel but not the bottom. You only need it for wind resistance after all. When it comes time to put the panel on you slide it in place from the back and then bolt it down. I've never seen one mounted like this though so it would be experimental. For example, fascia is coated I think so it won't rust... which means it may be hard to find glues, etc, that stick to it. I'm no expert though so this could be a bad idea.
101perspective Hello, thanks so much for the great advice😁... we have ended up bolting the panel as showed in the video with the bolts glued to the roof and then taped down using the gorilla tape! It’s been up there for over 4 months now with no issues😉we originally planned to perhaps take it on and off but realised this is quite abit of hassle with the tape! It’s an ok setup like this and of the panel ever fails it’s easy to remove and replace! So all in all very happy with this cheap, easy solar setup! 👍👍
I think that was a good choice to just leave it in place. Less headache that way.
101perspective 👍👍
Well done great video you wild sausages.
crazy1901 Thankyou 😁😁
HI ... its been 18 months since your posting. How did you attach the panels to your van roof and how well did that work? Thanks
Would love to know this also
@@charlottecayre Saw this yesterday (Oct 10, 2021) th-cam.com/video/uvMYv7afUWM/w-d-xo.html
I might be too late? I would glue the bolts to the roof. Once you have the washer and nuts on I would apply some vaseline/grease to the metal threads. The vaseline will stop it rusting because it blocks air from touching the metal. I would only tape the front of the panel to the camper. If wind can not get under the front and lift, the wind pressure over the rest of the panel will be pushing the panel onto the roof.
campingboy Your not too late! Thanks so much for your advice😉.... we have stuck the bolts down like we mentioned in the vid with CT1 and seems to be working great so far.... haven’t drove down any motorway yet tho! before we do, will tape down the front extra well! Will see how we go about leaving the other sides left untapped😉 think it will be fine! And will take your advice with the Vaseline to stop rusting! Thanks so, so much.... 🚐👫🐕🐕
You clever pair ... 👍😃
Marilyn Wisbey Thanks so much!🤓
Good job,what a team! 👏🚐📹Best solar-fit demo I have ever watched, I think I might actually understand it all now!😵 What about a second panel just for putting out when you're in the shade in the van and get a cover for the one on the roof for when it's blistering hot? Look forward to seeing what you do, Spring-time blessings🐇🐣🐑🙏
Lake Antler Thanks so much😊we did think about getting a second panel.... perhaps we will measure up in the van and see if we have room as this would solve the problem of wanting to park in the shade most of the time! ....🤔 it’s tricky knowing what to do for the best! We’ve never been that great at making decisions🤣
Thats exactly what i will be doing. I want the best of both options so that i can park in the shade if i want to.
Lovely vid guys, straight talking no nonsense stuff. Really appreciate you putting this up, could you tell me how much this system cost? our last van was written off and we have now bought a transit van and would love to add solar panels, also subbed Tim/Mandy
savedpurplecat Hello Tim and Mandy, welcome to our channel and thanks for watching
😁😁... Glad you liked the video, this is a very simple and reasonable setup and worked out great for us during our 8month trip away. Here’s some links to everything we bought (all from amazon) -
Flexi Solar Panel; amzn.to/2wtIv26
leisure battery; amzn.to/2PTEs7h
300w Inverter; amzn.to/2C4njoF
Charge Controller; amzn.to/2C1Gyzl
Great info, but for what I've heard... the Charge Controler is to be as Close to the Batteries as possible.
George Fenrich Thank for watching, and for the tip, we were thinking about moving it actually as we have heard that before! Xx
I think your method of attaching is perfect, but I wouldn't worry about removing it to park in the shade, too much hassle. Just get a second rigid solar panel with its own foldout stand and a long cord - I have one, and it easily slides away being flat'n all, no problem. Plus, this gives you double the charging surface area for cloudy &rainy days. If you have a smart controller - or smart inverter, it will switch your charging source from solar to the alternator when you start the engine. When you turn the engine off, it'll switch back over to solar charging. And since your controller has overcharge protection cut-off, you're covered there too. The fact that your flex panel curves aerodynamically on the leading surface of your van is just perfect. But just because it's flexible, that doesn't mean you can just bend it and straighten it repeatedly - that's exactly what kills phone charging cords and extension cords, rolling them out, and rolling them up again. Construction companies train their workers to roll power cords up in a way that minimizes the microbreakage that occurs each time, over time - just to try to get the most life out of a $100+ power cord. Your panel is more expensive than any cord, and putting it through a similar bending and unfurling repetition will eventually kill it, possibly cause a short and fire.
Also, since you said you have a 1000W inverter - I would use that instead. It's heavier and more robust, and gives your circuitry much better surge protection, probably double it's continuous load rating.
It should say right on the inverter specs label. I'm guessing you'll find it says surge protection 2000W, for so many seconds or milliseconds. This protects your whole system, for the stated time (in seconds or milliseconds) Some inverters give as much as 20 to 30 seconds of surge protection, but those are bigger and usually very expensive. Your 1000W inverter I'm sure has plenty enough surge protection given the small current usage you said is all you need, so I'm sure you're good there.
To be really safe, make sure to put a fat line fuse on your red cable attaching to the positive(Red) terminal on your battery.
This protects EVERYTHING from any possible abnormal current spike from the battery.
Also, since you're running off 12 volt, go with really fat gauge red and black insulated copper leads from the battery - like 2 Ought - to inverter, as short as possible - get your inverter as close to the battery as possible. Your leads from batt to inverter should be short and fat. If you have to go a bit longer, go fatter.
If your solar charge controller is a good one, it will not only stop charging the battery when full charge is reached - it will also prevent reverse charge from then flowing back to the solar panel - called reverse charge protection.
In other words, go heavier than you ever plan on needing, so that no one component of your system is ever taxed to anywhere near approaching its max. You'll have such a huge safety margin, the whole system can hum along at a fraction of its capacity.
One change I would suggest - that is a pricy upgrade; Get a BattleBorn Battery. Once you read the specs on that, or better yet, just call them on their website, you'll understand. It's a 10 year warranty, meaning it's easily a 20 year battery, and Battleborn's support is superior to everyone else out there.
$950, yup. But it's so worth it.
Check out Will Prowse on TH-cam, he breaks it down like no other, and it comes out on top. They don't need venting, or any maintenance at all. They have their own built in BMS, and don't need a fuse on the red terminal. They are the safest, biggest capacity and longest lasting battery period.
I can now feel good cuz I told you about this. Cheers!
Nice one! How did you get by for power before?
Hi guys your talking to Mr Solar here I won't bother you with my 100 watt Bosch panel installation but a few facts you may or may not know..
The mornings rays will charge your battery to around 14.4 watts within an hour in Spain with an 60 to 80 watt panel..if it's cloudy you should get to around 13.5 to 13.8 easily that's plenty...Do all your usb point charging during the morning!!!!.. Regarding the slope of your roof if you can face East for early morning sun particularly if it's raining or cloudy. Otherwise it's not going to make any difference. 12.8 watts is fine..12.4 watts is ok but when it drops to 11.8 conserve your usage..turn everything off..As your battery getting to the point of no return.
A solar panel is "meant to be in the sun" it's flimsy too so Stick it down using Sikoflex... Sikoflex is fantastic. Solar panels will work in the shade on a sunny day...Stick it down with Duck tape and monitor before sticking it if you need to be convinced..To be honest in Spain a good 40 watt panel would do the job 100 watt in the UK is great for cloudy days. In winter.
If your worried about extreme heat stick a towel over it . If you keep taking it off your going to have an accident with it...Just remember the mornings sun is so much better than midday or evening rays so as said do all your charging early morning sun...not late afternoon and certainly not at night..
muddymarvellous Hiya, this is great😊 thank you so much for all this brilliant information, will definitely take note of all of this and be keeping an eye on the voltage.... we have CT1 adhesive which we could use if we end up permanently sticking it on.... excited to get on the road and have the extra power in the van!😉🙏
I'm excited for you!!!...it's going to be fantastic !!! it really is!!!...I love solar I get a buzz every morning when the battery tops up.....I think the flexible panels make so much sense, much tidier .. the rigid panels are so heavy..
Yes I stand corrected obviously 100 watt panel 12 volt system .
That's the problem with relaxing with a good bottle of wine.. 🍷
But I'm sure they know the difference...But you may want to explain now the voltage reading when battery is loaded and how this affects the controller readings
Good video guys, thanks, as for the panel on the roof I would use double sided tape
yindyamarra Thankyou xx
Was good to watch your video as solar install is our next upgrade 👍 although we will need 200w panels for regular cloudy Scottish weather 😂
Badgerboy yes in Scotland you would during the winter months although 150 watts I would have thought adequate..
What about extremely strong magnets glued under solar panels?
Inga Huff thanks for the suggestion, magnets would be great if we hade a metal roof, ours in fibreglass... we’ve gone with the bolt things glued on and strong duct tape around the edges, hopefully this will be all good🤞
I would just add a small bead of clear general purpose silicone around the edge of the tape, trust me. I have experience.
Ah, sorry, I thought they were metal (: I don’t have o e yet, but it’s my dream!
Inga Huff good luck with yours!🚐👫🐕🐕
Live Free or Die Ok, thank you.... so the wind doesn’t get underneath right?
Can you post a link to the solar panel you got?
Photoart design studio Custom photo t-shirts Hey there, the make is elfeland, we got it from eBay Spain, can’t find the exact one we got now🤔 but just search from your country eBay/amazon... we paid about 100euros! X
Excellent 🤗😎 I prefer to glue things to the roof ,rather than drill holes,I’m thinking the bolts glued to the roof would be better than Velcro 😬🤓
Stephen Ellis Thanks so much.... we were thinking Velcro was the way forward but after doing more research and hearing other people’s views, think we will probable go with the bolts👍😊
I have used industrial velcro for years, it WON’T WITHSTAND the sort of heat you have in Spain! The self adhesive MELTS and whilst driving your solar panel will depart! Dont trust it. HOWEVER if you attach the tape with Sikaflex or similar that withstands a LOT of heat
PLEASE DO NOT rely on what ‘appears’ to be super sticky tape, trust me its not. Its designed for indoor or low temperatures. 👍🏻
Industrial Velcro: I would be very concerned with any adhesive performance in temperatures of 30-40 degrees. I used this product inside my tow-along Smart car and basically, it melted even though the outside temperature was only 20 degrees. I liked the video though and hope you get it sorted.
Don Sides Thanks so much Don! We ended up glueing the bolt onto the roof and using the gorilla tape around to stop the wind lifting the panel! Almost 6 months now and it’s still up there doing its job with the original tape! And the great thing is if it fails we can just take the tape off and replace the panel😉 thanks so much for watching😊😊
how do y'all make money while traveling? can I add a bunch of small travel solar panels to one battery? I like how everything is set up its authentically smart
Rachel Bourgeois thanks😊 We are using our savings to travel at the moment, we saved and made sacrifices for quite a while to be able to have this big adventure hopefully we can make this last, would be great to find some kind of online work but obviously this is not easy🤔😬😊
Zip Zenac your welcome, thanks for watching 😁😁
great video, thinking of doing the same as you guys, don't like the tape idea as it leaves a right mess when you try to take it off, best of luck, rob
Neat little setup, i would probably use some motorcycle quick release fairing fasteners to make it easy to mount and remove the panel, a set of those probably won't cost you more then 10bucks.
Another alternative that just popped up in my head and maybe even nicer are these "VW Twist Lock Floor Mat Clips", search on ebay for the ad 171348959983 and you see what i mean. Then cut the screw part and glue it on the roof. Industrial velcro is also great but i would be worried that you put alot of stress on the panel when trying to get it off the roof.
John - Hey there, thankyou..... will google the fasteners now as not sure what they are..... quick release sounds good! Thanks for the advice👍
John - thanks, yes quite a few people have said it may be tricky to get the panel on and off with the Velcro, don’t want to snap the panel!😬
where are your fuses?
good job. flexible light weight panels are the way to go, but building in a gap between the panel and roof seems sensible to avoid the panels absorbing too much heat. The juries out on this one. regards Barry
barry8082 Thanks for the advice, yes hear that a gap between is sensible although do kinda think these panels are made to be just stuck on, we may be able to leave a gap if we use the bolts we mentioned in the vid🤔
Ideally a gap but not practical with this type of panel. That thing would be wobbling like the dickens going down the highway.
Good job guys! Nice use of the existing roof hole lol. Idk anything about solar, but Will Prowse has some vids about flexible panels. Might be useful. 🌞
Melissa M. Hey there🤗.....Thanks so much, will check out wills channel😉
Really does need to be properly glues down over time it will rip off. All solar panels need a gap under them once it gets too hot tie from the metal roof they dont seem to work as well. i have seem a video where they placed the flex solar panel on the boot of the van. not to sure of the pros and cons of that method. Love your video by the way!
David Bernard Thanks so much for the advice😊.....We are definitely abit worried about the panel overheating hence wanting a solution that we can take it on and off! Our roof is fibreglass and we don’t want the panel damaging the roof if it overheats either! It’s tricky to know what solution is best🤔
the exPAWers maybe you can build a light weight frame for it then Velcro it to the roof so that it has air flow under and it will not damage the roof.
I wouldn't use velcro as it will create a gap for wind.
Live Free or Die Yeah, thanks for the advice... we have decided against the Velcro and stuck the bolts down.... we are also going to duct tape all around the front edge to stop the wind lifting the panel!😉😊
In addition I suggest a little silcone on the edge of the tape.
Velcro plus waterproof duct tape should be strong enough, & removable 👍
Today we are installing our solar system into our can
Jupiter : I call shotgun !
That looks great😊 I really like the idea of no holes. Can I ask how much did you pay for the solar panel and charging controller ? Thanks
FootLoose Crafters Hiya, the panel was about £100 and controller about £20 from eBay😊
the exPAWers we are researching this flexible solar panels 😊. Do you have 2 batteries or only one?
FootLoose Crafters we have a leisure battery under the bonnet too which only charges when we drive, and powers all the electrics in the van, lights, fridge, water pump etc...
So this new battery/solar set up will be just for our laptop, phones, camera etc, excited about having the extra power for the big trip😁
the exPAWers thanks for the info 👍❤️
With Avasva plans doing something like that was easy.
Marlen Vassallo Hey there, what’s Avasva? Sorry haven’t heard of this😊
Just perfect to me
Why do you need a battery
Hi, new viewer... just FYI I have the same flexible solar panels on my class B RV and you'll find that they are not as good as the rigid panels in terms of output. also I have the same problem that you'll face when you don't elevate the panels to the angle of the sun. As the fall and winter approach the sun is lower giving much less exposure to the panel ( up to 25% less) If max power is not needed than no big deal. I have a lot of power hungry devices and need as much solar power as possible.
PAT DOWNEY Hello Pat, thanks for the info, yeah we would have much preferred to get the rigid panel , but no way of fitting one on our funny shape roof, we are considering getting one of those 100w portable folding rigid ones, (like a big briefcase) for the next trip! This cheap flexible one is holding ok, we put it up by glueing the bolts to the roof and duct tape and it’s been up there 5ish months and doing alright😉 is amazing the difference when it’s not full on facing the sun as you mentioned... Thanks so much for watching!😁
The tape will set like concrete. Literaaly unremoveable. Had it with masking tape and gaffa tape . Get it off now while you still can.
SYKOMORF Thanks for the advice, we have had the same tape on for 6 months!! 😂 if we need to take the panel off, we will just cut the tape with a blade! Not bothered about the tape being unremovable, it’s an old van with a dirty roof anyways!😉thanks for watching.
For safety, the solar panel should be removed immediately.
This is a panel that must not bend so much and it means that there are now micro chracks in the panel which means there is a fire hazard for continued use.
Green Energy Scandinavia Hi there, these flexible panels are supposed to bend we thought?? Isn’t that the reason for being flexible? .... it’s been on the van for a couple of months now and we have no problem... could you explain a little more why we should worry😬
If you study the instruction for c-Si so-called semiflexible panels, you will see that there is a very low deflection allowed. When a micro-crack occurs, the electrons must skip the crack and thus heat will develop. Because your panel is made with a back of plastic, there is a risk of fire.
If there is no fire, there is definitely some insulation that melts at a time by your camper.
There is no need to mount this kind of equipment on your device. There are real solar cells designed for the purpose that are also glued, but just in a real technology called CIGS, and you also ensure better production.
They are available from manufacturers such as MiaSole. Flisom and GlobalSolar
Never use crystal c-Si panels on transport equipment.
That's why professionals only use CIGS flexible solar panels on vehicles:
th-cam.com/video/ZodPnAVb__o/w-d-xo.html
facebook.com/rolstedgruppen/videos/2091656861052834/
Velcro,and tape, well done enjoyed your vid.
Megan Jones thanks a lot, we are swaying towards the Velcro!😉
so what happened, how did you solve it?
timothy790110 Hey so we went with the glued on bolts in the end and gorilla tape all the way around. Did the Job, still holding up in the same position more then 6 months later! 😁
wont the wind just rip it off cant you just install a roof rack and use a more stable Solar setup
Does your rv have a name ?
RAY RAY Hiya, thanks for watching! Yes our Rv’s name is ‘Vinny’ 🚐👫🐕🐕
I'm going to guess that panel is dead now? I've heard those flexible panels have no way to distribute heat and quickly become useless within a year
your inverter should really come off the battery.....especially the bigger 1000w one...
Ray Andrew Thanks for the advice, we have the setup the same as the video but now, yes the inverter (300w) is connected directly to the leisure battery instead of the charge controller😉3 months has passed and all good😁thanks fo watching 🚐👫🐕🐕
Glue the panel
Great! Why not keep it simple and see how the tape does by itself??
kay evangelou Hey, we are totally thinking about that as the tape is quite strong🤔but kinda feel like we need to be sure it doesn’t fly off when driving fast😬thanks for watching🚐👫🐕🐕
why do rigid panels require a ventilation space and flexibles don't?? I want to use a rigid panel as a vent cover on my van and have it rest flush (with weather stripping) on the roofs sheet metal and have the back be exposed to the inside of the van.. and if possible insulate and cover the underside. Possible? any health or safety risks? My feeling is the space/ventilation requirement on rigid panels might be more about water and drainage as they are not as sealed as flexible panels?? maybe? not sure, but would like a proven explanation from a self proclaimed expert who is not just reading manufacturer's installation guide. Thanks. drive.google.com/open?id=1vKXInuftSZq0ufeHJHZWsjlaqAc0zlfA
I hate tiny dogs but I will continue to watch
Newer Account 🤣🤣 Tiny dogs aren’t that bad🤣🐾 great little weapons for in the van! They will bite anyone’s fingers off who tries to get in uninvited... thanks for watching x
the exPAWers I guess 2 small dogs are better than one big one 🤔😁😁😁👍
Newer Account 😊😊